Beat heat, lines with Cumming Harvest

Online market sells local products for pick-up

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — When you think of online shopping, buying fresh quality organic produce may not be something consumers consider.

With the Cumming Harvest, an online farmer’s market, customers log in Wednesday or Thursday to look through everything available and then place orders to be picked up Saturday morning at 106 Colony Park Drive, Suite 100 in Cumming.

“Local farmers from within about 100 miles list their items for sale online that they have every week,” said Suzanne Geddes, one of the owners and founders of Cumming Harvest. “Everything that farmers sell is grown sustainably so there are no chemicals, pesticides or any synthetics used.”

Lynn Pugh owner of Cane Creek Farm has done farmers’ markets for three years, but prefers the Cumming Harvest to sell her produce.

“It’s really nice not to have to sit at the market all morning,” Pugh said. “You only harvest what you have sold so you don’t harvest a bunch of stuff and not sell it.”

It’s also useful for very small farmers who don’t have a lot to sell, said Pugh, who has been farming for about 12 years.

The Cumming Harvest was started in August of 2010 by both Geddes and Pugh. It was based on the principles of enhancing the local economy, saving natural resources, providing learning opportunities and supporting a way of life.

“It works out really well for the farmer. It’s efficient in terms of what you are producing and able to move what you produce,” Pugh said.

Visit www.cumming.locallygrown.net to see the Cumming Harvest’s inventory. An annual fee of $25 per household for one calendar year is required, but customers are welcome to try Cumming Harvest for two orders before paying the membership.